Gas diaphragm valves



July 19, 1966 w. A. RAY

GAS DIAPHRAGM VALVES Filed April 16, 1963 iii! F 25.02% It m T E WlLLlAM A. RAY

INVENTOR.

Bari

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,261,549 GAS DIAPHRAGM VALVES William A. Ray, North Hollywood, Calif., assignor to International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Filed Apr. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 273,458 5 Claims. (Cl. 236-80) The present invention relates to improvements in gas control systems using gas inlet pressures for controlling the operation of a gas control valve.

Briefly, the system described herein involves a valve incorporating a pressure-responsive element for controlling the flow of gas to a main burner. The valve incorporates suitable passages and controllable ports for equalizing pressures on opposite sides on the pressure-responsive element to maintain the valve in a normally closed condition, shutting off gas to the main burner.

The system as described also includes a pilot burner and a thermocouple mounted adjacent the pilot burner for heating thereby to develop a voltage or current for controlling an electromagnetic operator which in turn controls the ports of the valve. In one condition of the ports, corresponding to the de-energized condition of the electromagnetic operator, gas inlet pressure is applied on opposite sides of the pressure-responsive element to maintain the valve in its closed position. In the other condition of the ports, corresponding to the energized condition of the electromagnetic operator, the pressures on opposite sides of the pressure-responsive element are no longer balanced, with the result that such element is free to move in accordance with gas inlet pressure to open the valve to the main burner, and at the same time, during displacement of the element, the gas displaced is conducted through a port to the pilot burner line and pilot burner where such displaced gas is burned.

One of the important novel features of the present invention is that such gas displaced by the pressureresponsive element is conducted to the pilot burner where it is burned and in that regard constitutes a distinct improvement over prior systems of this type in which the displaced gas is vented to the atmosphere without burning.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved system of the character indicated above.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a system of this character wherein gas displaced by a pressure-responsive element is conducted to a burner where such displaced gas is burned.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve construction having ports and conduits in communication with a pilot burner line such that gas displaced by a pressure-responsive element is conducted to such pilot burner line.

While the drawings and following description describe the pressure-responsive element as a diaphragm, since a diaphragm is preferred, the pressure-responsive element in systems of this type may take other forms such as bellows, pistons or other fluid-operated motors, and thus the invention is not confined to the specific use of a diaphragm.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

The single figure of the drawing illustrates a system embodying features of the present invention.

3,261,549 Patented July 19, 1966 In the drawing, gas is supplied to the inlet opening 10 which leads to an inlet chamber 12 in valve casing 14 which has an annular stationary valve seat 16 normally closed by a diaphragm valve member 18 as a result of balanced inlet pressures being applied to the bottom and topside of diaphragm 18, the diaphragm 18 also being urged towards its seat 16 by coil compression spring 20.

The downstream side of port 16 is in communication with the outlet chamber 22 which, in turn, is in communication with the main burner 24.

For applying inlet pressure to the topside of diaphragm 18, there is provided a passageway 26 in casing 14 extending from inlet chamber 12 to the port 28 of threeway valve 30, the port 28 being normally uncovered, as shown, to allow the chamber 32, defined in part by diaphragm 18, to be at inlet gas pressure to produce balanced gas pressure forces on the diaphragm.

The passageway 26 also communicates with a chamber 36 containing a filter element 38 for filtering normal pilot burner gas which flows, in turn: through such filter 38; a passageway 40 containing an adjustable flow control valve means 42 for metering the gas flow and adjustment of height of the pilot flame; a mixed orifice 44; and pilot burner line 46 to the pilot burner 48.

The nonaerated pilot burner 48, when lit, heats a thermocouple 50 which develops a current that flows in a series circuit comprising thermocouple 50, the operating coil 52 of valve 30 and the thermostat 54 when its switch 55 is closed under the condition where the thermostat 54 demands the production of heat.

The coil '52 is wound on a U-shaped core 56 with one leg of the core serving as a pivot for its armature 58 which serves also as a valve member normally urged, as shown, against the other valve port 60 by coil compression spring 62 to close port 60 and to allow port 28 to be open.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, the port 60 is one end of a passageway 64 in casing 14 leading to a chamber 66 on the downstream side of orifice 44, the chamber 66 being in communication with the pilot burner line 46.

In operation of the system, pilot burner gas is allowed to continually flow from inlet chamber 12, through passageway 26, filter 36, orifice 44, chamber 66 and pilot burner line 46 to the pilot burner 48; and such gas is previously ignited so that there is ever present a pilot flame at burner 48 which heats the thermocouple 50 and develops a thermocouple voltage.

When the thermostat 54 demands heat, i.e., production of a flame at the main burner 24, the thermostat switch 55 is closed to apply such voltage to coil 52 and operate the valve 30 such that the port 28 is now closed and the port 60 is open. Gas, initially under line pressure in chamber 32, is then allowed to flow through port 60 and chamber 66 to the pilot burner 48 where such gas under pressure and gas displaced by upward movement of diaphragm 18 is burned. The diaphragm 18 under this condition moves upwardly since there is an unbalanced inlet pressure on its underside causing the main valve 18, 16 to open and gas to escape to the main burner 24.

Upon sufiicient rise in temperature, th thermostat switch 55 opens to de-energize coil 52 to thereby allow the valve 30 to assume its open position under the influence of spring 62 wherein the venting port 60 is again closed and the pressure port 28 is opened to allow inlet pressure to enter chamber 32 through port 28 and balance the gas pressure forces on diaphragm 18 to allow the diaphragm 18 to seat on seat 16 and prevent further flow of gas to the main burner 24.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A valve construction of the character described, including a valve body having an inlet connection, an outlet connection, and valve means between said inlet and outlet connections, said valve body having a pressure inlet chamber, a movable pressure-responsive element forming a wall of said inlet chamber, a second chamber in said valve body defined in part by said pressure-responsive element, said valve body having a pilot burner line connection, an orificed passageway extending from said inlet chamber to said pilot burner line connection, two-position pilot valve means mounted in said body and having two ports, one of said ports being in communication with said inlet chamber for introducing inlet pressure to said second chamber, the other of said ports being in communication with said pilot burner line connection for communicatiing said second chamber to said pilot burner line connection, and two-position control means effective in one position to close one of said ports and to open the other of said ports and effective in the other position to close the other port and to open said one port, said orificed passageway serving to throttle pilot gas flow suffici-ently to maintain the pressure at said pilot burner line connection sufiiciently low to obtain operation of said valve .means by gas pressure in said inlet chamber.

2. In a control valve of the character described, a valve body having a gas inlet connection, a gas outlet connec tion connectable to a main burner and a pilot burner line connection, valve means interposed between said inlet and outlet connections, said valve means comprising a pressure-responsive means, a gas inlet chamber defined in part by one side of said pressure-responsive means, said valve body incorporating a second chamber defined in part by the other side of said pressure-responsive means, an orificed passageway extending from said inlet chamber to said pilot burner line connection, first pilot valve means for communicating said first chamber with said second chamber, second pilot means for communicating said second chamber with said pilot burner line connection, and means for alternately rendering said first and second pilot valve means ineffective, said orificed passageway serving to throttle gas pressure such that the gas pressure at said pilot burner line connection is sufficiently low to allow said pressure responsive means to be operated in accordance with gas pressure at said inlet connection.

3. A control valve as set forth in claim 2 in which said pressure-responsive means is a diaphragm.

4. A construction as set forth in claim 1, including a non-aerated pilot burner connected to said pilot burner line connection.

5. A valve as set forth in claim 2, including a nonaerated pilot burner connected to said pilot burner line connection.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,558,267 6/1951 Ray 158129 X 2,676,757 4/1954 Thornberry 236- 2,765,029 10/1956 Wolif 158131 2,939,525 6/1960 Ray 158-131 FREDERICK L. MATTESON, 111., Primary Examiner.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Examiner. 

1. A VALVE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, INCLUDING A VALVE BODY HAVING AN INLET CONNECTION, AN OUTLET CONNECTION, AND VALVE MEANS BETWEEN SAID INLET AND OUTLET CONNECTIONS, SAID VALVE BODY HAVING A PRESSURE INLET CHAMBER, A MOVABLE PRESSURE-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT FORMING A WALL OF SAID INLET CHAMBER, A SECOND CHAMBER IN SAID VALVE BODY DEFINED IN PART BY SAID PRESSURE-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT, SAID VALVE BODY HAVING A PILOT BURNER LINE CONNECTION, AN ORIFICED PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING FROM SAID INLET CHAMBR TO SAID PIVOT BURNER LINE CONNECTION, TWO-POSITION PILOT VALVE MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID BODY AND HAVING TWO PORTS, ONE OF SAID PORTS BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INLET CHAMBER FOR INTRODUCING INLET PRESSURE TO SAID SECOND CHAMBER, THE OTHER OF SAID PORTS BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PILOT BURNER LINE CONNECTION FOR COM- 